On a unique night for Barcelona, Messi collected the award in Zurich while being applauded on to stage by the two home-grown team-mates he pipped for the honour, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi.

The Argentine’s annexation of the new award, which sees the old Fifa World Player of the Year trophy merged with the 55th edition of France Football magazine’s historic Ballon d’Or — both of which Messi won last year — was actually a bit of a surprise because the speculation was that it would go to one of the dynamic duo so influential in Spain’s World Cup triumph.

Yet, there could be no real argument that a man who consistently performed at such an ethereal level again throughout 2010 should join the elite who have won the Ballon d’Or twice.

Messi, is still only the ninth player to achieve the feat, putting him alongside some of the all-time greats – Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Ronaldo, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Alfredo Di Stefano. He is the first to win it in consecutive years since Marco van Basten in 1989.

Still, though, he was left surprised by the honour. “To be honest, I didn’t expect to win, but it was already just great to be here next to my two mates,” he said. “To win it makes it even more special” He polled 22.65 per cent of the votes from national team coaches, captains and selected journalists, with Iniesta on 17.36 per cent and Xavi third with 16.48 per cent.

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Like many, Messi had evidently felt the award would be weighted in favour of the World Cup winners even though, in truth, he did not have as poor a tournament in South Africa as many have claimed. True, he did not score a goal in his five matches but there were still plenty of cameos which demonstrated his true excellence before Argentina’s quarter-final exit.

For Barcelona, though, he has inhabited another world. Over the calendar year, he scored 59 goals for them, while adding a 60th in Argentina’s colours for good measure. It has not just been the quantity, though; it is the sheer quality which has staggered. The man is building up the most amazing personal highlights reel football has seen.

Still, though, Messi is desperate to win with his country next. “In 2011, I want to win my first title with the national side,” he said. “And as a result I’ve asked Father Christmas to give me the present of the Copa America! It is the gift I want to give to all Argentinians. My compatriots deserve a great year.”

The awards announcement was made by Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who admitted how proud he was of the unique achievement which had seen three players just like him coming through the club’s youth system to take the first three places in the vote. No club had filled the top three since Milan in 1998 with their Dutchmen Ruud Gullit, Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard.

Still, though, there will be widespread sympathy for the under-appreciated Xavi. Even Uefa president Platini had last month declared he deserved the award but at 30, despite being chief orchestrator of his club’s domestic double and being even more influential than Iniesta, the final match-winner, in his country’s historic triumph in South Africa, it is probably too late for the great conductor now.

Another source of controversy about the awards night had been the fact that no player from any other team than Barcelona had managed to make the three-strong shortlist. Platini, for one, had been dumbfounded that Wesley Sneijder, the inspiration behind Inter Milan’s treble and Holland reaching the World Cup final, had been ignored. He came fourth, with 14.4 per cent of the vote.